Abdominal truss



C. NYGARD ABDOMINAL TRUss Jan. 29, 1935.

Filed Aug. lO, 1932 Patented Jan. 29, 1935 v '131e present-invention Irelates in.. general to Surgical appliances and has particular reference to` an improved vabdominal `truss for the treatment of hernias.

The primary object -of the inventionv is tofprovide-atruss of the class described which is delili;

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signed to treat the rupture Aand lthe area immediately around thesame nin a way to improve the condition ofr` the rupture and materially aid in restoringthe rupture to a-natural condition. o

A further object ofithe invention is to provide a truss-which may `beconveniently worn upon the person without'the discomfort' usually experienced in devices ,of this kind. 1 y

klVith these' and other objects in view theinvention Will be more; clearly understood upon reference yof the accompanyingdrawing in which;

Fig. isa perspective 'view of the` truss as rvit Will appear when applied upon the person;

Fig. ,2 is a detailin front ,elevation of the pad and the cooperating resilientpa'rt `ofthe waist encircling member orrbe1t; and,

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in cross section of the pad structure.

One embodiment of the invention is presented herein for the purpose of illustration but it will of course be understood that the invention is susceptible of other different modified embodiments which come equally within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the embodiment shown in the drawing 1 represents a waist encircling member` or belt. This belt is preferably produced from some non-elastic material suitable for the purpose having a felted inner surface 2 which will present a soft non-irritating body contact surface. 'I'his felted inner surface may be realized by applying a separate strip to the inside of the belt or it may be produced by selecting a belt having material of these qualities.

Detachably secured to the belt 1 by means of elastic straps 3, with snap fasteners 4, are a pair of hip cushions and 6 respectively. 'Ihese cushions are preferably made of relatively thick soft material having satin or silk inner surfaces so as to oler the utmost comfort to the wearer.

The cushions may be stuffed with soft material such as cotton or the like, or else they may be made up of a laminated structure in which superimposed layers are sewed together. This is more or less immaterial so long as the cushion effect is realized and the inside of the cushions are provided with satin, silk or the like soft material. By means of the elastic straps 3 the position of the cushions may be shifted on the belt to accommodate thefsametothe.wearerslflikingiV i These straps 3 alsoenable the cushions to ,fvbeyre-7 moved from" the -belt 1` ywhen occasion demands.

The Vcushion 5 ismade withaidependingfsk-irti yto offer additional protection to vthe vvearer'ifat the pointof; connection of :the crotchjstrap 38. r: this connectionfaistrap V9 is loopedaround`r the belt 1 with a buckle'` 10 carriedthereby foren-'-y gaging: the free-end Aof the crotch.strap18,jTfh'e position of the strap :9 on the belt lmaybeshift-A edso as to arrange thercrotchstrap'r atthegjc'onvenience of the .-wearer. The strap;z8.passesbe-` tween vthe `legs of the wearergand its opposite end carries a metal eye 12 whichdetachably engages a stud 13` on the pad 14, whichwill'be `hereinafter more specifically described; ,:The strap 8 Kispref; erably made ofelastic materialfand. is .covered with silk, `satin* .or some other,` soft; material jfon the comfort ofthe wearer. 'Theifree'endsll ofthe strap 8 overlies the depending skirt'? offthecushi-L` ion 5 which furthermakes the device morelzcomfi fortablel'to wear than itnwculdbe instheiabsence. of the skirt 7.

The body encircling member or belt 1 is connected around the waist of the wearer by means of a buckle 15.

Referring now to the pad l14 attention is invited particularly to the cross Ysection view in Figure 3. As is customary in devices of this kind the pad is made as a modified oval shaped device and in my particular case the material of the pad is either sponge rubber, gutta-percha or any other material suitable for the purpose. In constructing the pad I provide a metal shell 16 which will be inset within the pad 14 and secured therein by screws, rivets or the like 17 after the manner shown in Figures 2 and3. The shell Y16 will be formed'with a' central channel 18 to ladmit a sliding member 19 which is slidably carried on the back of the cover plate 20. Anchored as at 21 at one end of the channel 18 is a spring or springs 22 anchored as at .23'to the sliding member 19. The cover plate is made withv a slot in its thickness to expose the sliding member 19 so as to secure the stud 13 thereto through the medium ofthe studA plate 24 which is fastened to the sliding member by screws, rivets or the like.

With the parts of the padassembled in this manner and with the crotch 8 secured to the stud 13 through the medium of the metal eye 12 the crotch strap is held taut by means of the spring or springs 22. This arrangement, as a result of adjusting the crotch strap by means of the buckle 10, will impart a downward pull to the pad 14 under the yielding iniiuence of the spring or springs 22 thus maintaining the pad in proper position under the influence of a resilient restraining force.

The body encircling member or belt 1 is equipped with a metal plate 25 which is secured to the plate 20 of the pad by means of screws, rivets or the like and thus the pad is carried by the belt. To the left of this plate 25, viewed from the front as in Figure 2, the belt end which carries the buckle 15 is preferably made of elastic material 26. In other words a short length of elastic material is used for the belt end which carries the buckle 15. The reason for this is to accomodate a spring device 27. This spring,L

device preferably comprises a pair of metal end 29 also carries the buckle 15 which is' riveted vor otherwise secured to the belt end. The end plate 28 issecured to the belt end in a like manner. To limit expanding action ofthe spring device 27 I employs. string or the like 32.

This spring device 27 cooperates with the springs 22- in the padto hold the pad in proper position over the hernia and one is dependent upon the other"v to realize the benets derived from the use of the truss. As an example the crotch strap 8 imparts a downward pull to thepad 14 under the `yielding influence of the springs 22 and at the vsame time the spring device 27 develops a resilient or yielding pull Vto the pad in a direction transverse vto thedirection of the down-pull.

To' protect the. spring device 27 I enclose the same in a rubberized or other moisture proof cover whichY is securedA around the belt end by means `of snap fasteners 34.: This cover 33 is made with a tab 35 which underlies the belt end under the buckle 15 as shown in Figure 2.

For the'purposeof illustrating the salient features of the device I have selected a truss which isv designed for treating a rupture'on the right Siae,- 'lt will' 9i 'course be understood the same beneficial results will be realized by treating a rupture on the left side by rearranging the parts for the particular purpose. In the case of treating a double rupture the device will be made of a pair of pads each of which will be made alike and a pair of crotch straps will be used one for each pad.

From actual experience I have found that a truss made in accordance with my invention will serve'in the capacity for which'it is intended. It is comparatively cheap to produce, and the wearer does not experience the discomfort which is customary with abdominal trusses of this character.

' Having thus described and shown an embodiment of4 this invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In anabdominal truss, a pad, a shell like insert for said pad, said pad having a hollow interior fashioned for the reception of said insert,said inserty having an inwardly offset oblong channel with attaching ears for saidinsert on opposite sides of said channel, a cover plate adapted to enclose said insert within the hollow of the pad, said cover plate having openings in the thickness thereof whichregster with like openings in the attaching ears of the insert to admit screws for anchoring the cover plate and said insert to the pad, a fianged slide carried on the cover plate on the back side thereof and slidably fitting the channel of the insert, a spring anchored at one end to the insert within the channel thereof with its opposite end anchored to the flanged slide and enclosed therein, said cover plate having a slot in the thickness thereof, and a crotch strap attaching member secured to said slide by means admitted through the' slot in the cover plate and adapted for sliding movement on the face of the cover plate under the infiuence of the spring attached to the slide. Y

- CHARLES NYGARD. 

